Nauru Grammar

(219)

th; b clumsy father cba Bo

Akoro. Agan Asa Ikumododtoo JMnet ^ita

Akpro, His wife which Imukododo* pregnmt then the woman Ifliepe

Ilcumododo- padu Aain. me Igacaijao Jiruitena?

Ikujnododo. It fall her child and Igixgaija. The two women theare

Hr mifgen • ulDUior633^ apoe^o I ta mSg

the two stay then in their two homes* inland. It only stay

arouro nea Akoroo I ta* rodu ^ita

on the sand which Akoro. It only com© down the woman there

Ikumododo, me? 6t toreir iniua! kowoMt erouro

Ikumododo, and the two speak there the junction of the sand

m edffitiaii. Dugon amea Akoro: ** Ikumododo, wo oijMdu

and hlack soil. So the man there Akoro: "Ilmmododo,you "bring

hit a Aaitar fiea Igaguija hue ^ama^ ^lam ta

down that our two child which Igaguija "b^^ause we two will only

keiramen inneo" Ogen. 'dita . Ikumododo oni en

play here." fihl shed, the woman there Ikumododo "bring then

Mta nsin me oijfeduw^ inna mamaeirflti.

that her child, and "bring down there plenty torch ffifeumps.

Amea Akoro ota. iju'-^'munan e mfeg anamart

that man there Akoro "bring up fish those it stay sliminess

erouro: Teihawo m Ewao m Ataram m oij aiiet 'krumena

of the sand: Tei"bawo m Ewao m Ataram and give to then the »two women

agMn me hain i hue '63? ^xm an 7 Ouge

there his* wife and his. child so that they tv/o might ^ito So

iSiita Ikumododo: "Mar ta m^^ ko inne hu* a nym

that woman Ikumododo: You two only art-ay (imp) hea?© for I must

nuwaw me kani oar» eij:- etetg me epo

go away and fetch ouj? three ffoadB*uJ!r: almond.s and pandahus

e ratta"bae«" Obuien etbuer eran me oij'Sdawen

It just ripening:." Then take "basket one and take it up then

©©• Amea - Akoro e keramesi a "bita'

Inlands That man there Akoro he play with the one there

hain I Aeec Iguguijae I t oi ja muin adom i'6 "bahuiji

his child which Igt^guija. He only give teebha? of crah if hold it

(220)

( The Clumsy Father CraTp. Continued) >

T)u' ffilkuha itt keramen a eoniii . E raran me raran m

because unskilled if play to child. He mrlns and swing and

eteSow: eqh©! bita eonih me o^ge: Ikumododo aoh I

nothing: cry then that one there child and so : Ikumododo oh I

OQgpredu me inme tad Ktiredu Mita

run' down quickly and here at once. Call doTOiwards that woman

innen me ouge: A gogpredu me inno rad."

his mother and so : I run'downtsards and thCT^e at once J*

T^ ieda Iguguija me ouge: A t^ m* a t^ epn

Again start speaking Iguguija and so : I only cry and I only cry

bu* eawmagagefa aiia bu' a 3Bi6ga." ilita
because now badly injureeai mor b)ecaus© I have pain." That woman

inn©a o rodu a me babueiji bit a hain.

hiff mother- she come down to and keep It the one there her child*

B rara me rara me cddiow I I ta kani a mi^iruraoa
It Meed and bleed and nothing I She only look at those two

bSnt Qtgijien memag tinibSn , me odi; me o\jige:
his hands •Clipped of them all fingers, and counfe and so :

"Ae egSn? Xe o aiq\i6n ile eg&n?
Clipped of ff how many^ clipped off it one. Clipped off how many

fee o aro *ke egSn? *&e o aiju

clipped off it two. Clipped off how many? clipped offf it ths^e^

He eg&n? ae o aeo^ Xe eg&n ?

O'lipp^ off how many? Clipped off it four. Clipped off how many?

'Ae o aijimeo T^ toreret Mta iimen
Clipped off it fi>ye. Again then speak that woman his mother

me buge: 0^ galda fiaraeta Sizgrg bu* e-num3

and so : It come up the man there Akoro in order that he mtUst

oijido\;id6 medeuan Aaimar inns aoh I Rogan emea
affik his way our two child here oh I Then come vug that one
Akoro me toreren

me ouge: "patiririririri
there Akoro and then speak and &o : patiririririri

patiririririri patorororororo patorororororo patorororororo

patiririririri patorororororo pat o??or?ororoflo patorororororo
nuwa (imp) ko
go aw^ X^^v)

nuwa ko bu* a m^n; bu* a kamuid me raran
Go awsy (imp, because I die; because I clipped of!f and sBwdng:

m a ^ki aoh I Xita Ikumododo ob^

and I know nothing Oh I That woman Ikumododo take away

bit a iiain me otoaw oe me i ta m^en inma
that her child and bring: up inland and it only then stay there.

(221)

(yhg G lTJinsy F at.he?? Gra b Oontlnue &o )

Akoro i ta miCgen erouro Or ta rodu
Akoro he only then stays on the sand* They two only come down

ipoga Tdu© 633r xim aeae mi'dmir

go up in order* thart they two might ssee their two faces

me amea Akcx*o e6 gauwei j ebalDuetji "bita eonin hu*
and that man Akoro not repeat the holding that- child tecauffle

eikuha.
iznskilledo

Free Rende:gr{.rw The Glumgy Fath er _.Qr ah o

Akoro* His wife was named Ikumododop The Ikumododo became

pregnant and brought forth a child: Ig-aguijao Mothear and child

lived at theii:* home; inland, whj.le Akoro lived on the beach*

Ikumododo ua?ed to coma down to the beaich and they would. conversB®

there at the meeting of the sand and the black soilo

Akoro sedd: Ikumododo, bring down our child Igjaguija in order

that wa should spend a little time togetheir he3?e» And so

Ikumododo went to get her child and brought it down into the

litter of tx)rch stumps on the beach«

Akoro brou^t up fishes such as live in the slimy sand (on the

beach) : Teibawoo E^ao Ataram and gave them to his wiffe and to

his child for them to eat/

Ikumododo a?aid: Stay hers you two while I go away and gather- otar

ffOdcE; almondSp and ripening pandanus fruit* She took with her

a baskerfc and went up inland o

Akoro meanwhile: played with the child. Iguguija* He used his

claws to hold the child because he w.a® not accustompsd to play with

children* He ©wayed the child to and fro to his great enjoyment.

The child began to cry and called out: Ikumododo oh I run down

quickly to me here.

The mother called down to him and said; I am running down to you

at d)nce«
Iguguija again began to speak and said : I am crying^ and crying;
because I am badly injured and I am in pain.

His mother came down in a hurry and took up her child in her aians.
It was breeding and covered with blocdo She looked at his* hands:
all the fingeiiiB h ad been nipped off and she began to count and.
said :

How many are nipped ofF - One is nipped off*
How many are nipped off* - Two are nipped of ffo
How many are nipped, offf - Three are nipped off*.
How many are nipped off Pour are nipped off*
How many are nipped off Five are nipped, off.

Then she spoke again and said: Now the stupid Akoro had to come
to this ver;/ spot to inquire how our child was do:l:ig: I
Akoro came up and started talking and said: Patiririririrl
patiririririri patorororororo patorororororo, go away, go smay,
1 am done for: I took it simply in my claws and gewayed it,
I know no more*.

Then the Ilcumododo took her child away inland and they
lived there. Akoro remained on the beach a They used to go tcp
and come down to see each other and Akoro did never again. take
hold of the child because he was too clumsy.

Kayser, Alois. 1993. Nauru Grammar [Edited, with an Introduction by
Karl H. Rensch. Canberra: Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany.